Louisiana public and private high schools will not only have separate sports championships going forward, but the events may be in separate locations too.
Jeff Palermo in the WWL Baton Rouge Bureau reports that private high schools also known as “select” schools have formed a new organization within the Louisiana High School Athletic Association to help coordinate their efforts to host their own championship events in football, basketball, baseball, and softball.
Catholic High of Baton Rouge athletics director JP Kelly is the Interim CEO of the Louisiana Select Association.
“This is not a break from the LHSAA at all, in working together with the LHSAA what we can do is create a really meaningful experience for athletes who are in the select sports,” said Kelly.
Last January, LHSAA member principals voted to allow select schools to host their own championship events in certain sports at venues separate from the public schools.
The organization wants to finalize locations for their championships events as soon as possible. To do that, however, they have to change the rules.
A rule approved in December said that the higher seeded school would host the title game. So, Kelly says they need all schools in a specific division to forgo their right to host a game so they can find a neutral site.
Kelly says a return to the Superdome for football championships is one possibility or they can put the games on a college campus.
“Universities all over the state are interested in hosting title games, UL is excited about it, Southeastern is excited about it, Tulane is excited about it, so there are plenty of options for us,” said Kelly.
Kelly says they hope to have championship site venues finalized by the end of August.